The present invention relates to animal collars, and in particular to dog collars of the type that have one or more electrodes or sensors which protrude from the inside surface of the collar for contacting the neck of the animal and electronic devices located within the body of the collar to receive electronic control signals or sensor input and to generate a stimulus, which is transmitted to the animal through the electrodes or by a speaker on the collar.
Various electronic animal collar-type training aids are known for enabling an animal trainer to encourage or discourage certain behaviour in animals, such as dogs. The devices may be used to discourage barking or digging, or contain the animal within a defined area.
Generally, the trainer uses a transmitter capable of sending electronic signals, such as radio frequency (RF) signals, to a receiver unit contained within a boxlike enclosure strapped around the animal""s neck (see FIG. 1xe2x80x94Prior Art). The transmitter unit may be a stationary boundary unit, a stationary centrally located unit, or a portable transmitter carried by the trainer as part of a remote control unit. Also contained within the boxlike enclosure strapped to the animal are a power supply and a signal generator for generating a stimulus (normally an electric stimulus) that is transmitted to the animal through one or more electrodes, which protrude from the inside surface of the boxlike enclosure and press into the neck of the animal. In response to signals received by the receiver from the transmitter, a voltage is applied to the one or more electrodes to provide an electric stimulation to the animal when it exhibits undesirable behaviour. A device of this type is shown in FIG. 1 of the present application and is also shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,327,999, issued to Duane A. Gerig on Dec. 11, 2002.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, currently available animal collars 1 generally comprise a boxlike collar housing 2 attachable to the animal""s neck using strap 3. One or more electrodes 4 typically protrude from an inside surface 5 of boxlike collar housing 2 between xe2x85x9c inch (0.95 cm) and xc2xe inch (1.9 cm). Electrodes 4 generally have contact points approximately xe2x85x9 inch (0.32 cm) in diameter. One problem with such collars, is that their effectiveness is limited by the amount of contact that can be obtained between electrodes 4 and the animal""s skin 6. Getting the proper tension on the collar requires considerable experience and many inexperienced trainers over tighten or under tighten the devices around the animal""s neck. The problem with the electronic collars of the prior art is that 90% of the collar tensioning load is concentrated on the tiny electrodes 4, which jab into the animal""s neck. This causes animal discomfort, and over time, the electrodes can harm the animal by causing sores. If the collars are worn loosely, sufficient electrode-skin contact can be lost when the animal runs or shakes itself, especially when the animal becomes wet.
So called xe2x80x98no-bark collarsxe2x80x99of the prior art are similar to the electronic collars described above, and shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, except, in place of the receiver/transmitter combination, no-bark collars have a bark sensor generally located on inside surface 5. The bark sensor is similar to the one or more electrodes 4 and is designed to contact the animal""s neck and detect vibrations associated with barking. When such vibrations are detected, an electric stimulus is transmitted to the animal through the one or more electrodes 4 to deter the barking behaviour.
No-bark collars and other similar collars used in various animal containment systems or animal training systems, suffer from the same disadvantages described above.
It would therefore be advantageous if an electronic collar device was developed that-could permit sufficient electrode-skin contact to allow the device be effective, and yet provide comfort to the animal and prevent damage and sores.
It is an object of one aspect of the present invention to provide an animal collar that overcomes one or more of the above shortcomings.
It is an object of another aspect of the present invention to provide an animal collar that reduces and distributes the tensioning load applied to the animal""s neck by the stimulating electrodes or sensors.
It is an object of another aspect of the present invention to provide an animal collar that can be securely fastened to the neck of the animal and that reduces the risk of causing discomfort or damage to the skin of the animal due to pressure from the stimulating electrodes or sensors.
Briefly, the present invention provides an electronic animal collar designed to reduce the load applied to the animal""s neck by one or more stimulating electrodes or sensors that extend from or through an inside surface of the collar housing into the skin of the animal during use, and to permit the collar to be securely fastened to the neck of the animal without risk of causing discomfort or damage to the skin of the animal due to pressure from the stimulating electrodes. The inside surface of the collar housing has one or more high point surfaces that extend the inside surface above the electrode base and towards the animal so as to relieve and distribute the load caused by collar tension around the animal""s neck over a larger contact friction area. The high point surfaces intersect with a notional 90-degree plane extending from any point, located above the electrode or sensor base where it intersects with the inside surface of the collar housing, on a central longitudinal axis of any of the one or more electrodes or sensors.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an animal collar designed for attachment to an animal comprising: a collar housing having an inside surface directed toward the animal during use; at least one electrode intersecting the inside surface at an electrode base and extending toward the animal during use; the inside surface having at least one high point surface extending above the electrode based and toward the animal during use.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an animal collar designed for attachment to an animal having a stimulating unit for generating a stimulus, and one or more electrodes for transferring the stimulus to the animal, the collar comprising: a collar housing for containing the stimulating unit; the collar housing having an inside surface designed for contacting the skin of the animal during use, each of the one or more electrodes intersecting the inside surface at an electrode base and extending toward the animal during use; the inside surface having at least one high point surface extending above the electrode based and toward the animal during use.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is also provided an animal collar designed for attachment to an animal comprising: a collar housing having an inside surface designed for contacting the skin of the animal during use; and at least one electrode intersecting the inside surface at an electrode base, the at least one electrode having a central longitudinal axis extending toward the animal during use from the electrode base to an opposite distal end; the inside surface having at least one high point surface designed to intersect with a notional 90-degree plane extended from any point on the central longitudinal axis.
One advantage of the present invention is that it reduces the load applied to the animal""s neck by the stimulating electrodes or bark sensor. A further advantage of the present invention is that it can be securely fastened to the neck of the animal without risk of causing discomfort or damage to the skin of the animal due to pressure from the stimulating electrodes or sensor.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, wherein various embodiments of the invention are clearly described and shown.